Over 55 and haven't made a will? It's Free Wills Month

If you're over 55, live in England or Wales and have yet to make a will, then March is Free Wills Month.

The scheme, which takes place every March and October, is an opportunity for people to get a simple free will, drafted by a solicitor. Normally, you could pay £150 or more plus VAT for this.

It's backed by charities, so be prepared for your solicitor to ask if you'd like to leave a donation to a chosen cause when you die, although you're under no obligation to do so (see our Cheap and Free Wills guide for help getting a good deal).

You can also use the service to amend an existing will. Here's a Q&A of everything you need to know.

Do I need a will?

Whatever your age, if you've assets such as a home, savings, or a business, and people or others you'd like to look after, then consider making a will.

All sorts of problems can arise if someone dies without one. Unmarried couples aren't fullly recognised by the law, while there can be family arguments over possessions or custodial issues for children under 18.

Having a will is an effective way of making sure your assets are handled and distributed in the way you want when you die.

Do I qualify for Free Wills Month?

Anyone aged 55 or over can take part in Free Wills Month.

But you'll need to attend an appointment in one of the 19 towns, cities and counties taking part.

Which areas are participating in Free Wills Month?

The areas taking part in Free Wills Month vary each time the campaign runs. Here's the full list of those taking part in March:

Enter your postcode on the Free Wills Month website. It'll then come up with solicitors close to you which are taking part. Just call one to book your Free Wills appointment.

Once you've got an appointment, you need to download and complete as fully as you can a free document from the website, and take it to your appointment.

Is there a catch?

Solicitors usually charge up to £150 to write a will, although it can cost more for complex ones.

This fee is waived during Free Wills Month because the campaign is backed by charities. They hope you'll leave a donation when you die. You're under no obligation to do so, but it may be something you wish to consider.

Essentially, they hope your money will go to charities rather than solicitors.

The scheme also only covers simple wills. So if your affairs are complex, your solicitor's likely to ask you to pay a contribution to cover the extra time involved.

I'm not eligible for Free Wills Month, what can I do?

If you're too young to take part in Free Wills Month or don't live near a participating solicitor, there are a number of other ways you could get a free or cheap will.

Trade unions often offer free or heavily-discounted will-writing services to their members, while those who opted to get legal cover as part of their home or car insurance policy should check whether it includes a will service.

There are also a number of other charity-based schemes. See our Free and Cheap Wills guide for full details.

Get Our Free Money Tips Email!

For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes - join the 12m who get it. Don't miss out

Have your say

This is an open discussion; anyone can post. Comments may be edited, and are only published during the working day. Please report any spam, illegal, offensive, racist, libellous posts (inc username) to fbteam@moneysavingexpert.com.

Related Articles

100,000s of late tax returns are filed each year by people who don't owe any tax, data obtained by MoneySavingExpert.com shows - meaning many risk a fine of at least £100. If you still need to file a return this year, act fast - the deadline for filing your tax return this year is 11.59pm on Thursday 31 January

American Express cardholders will now have to wait TWO YEARS after cancelling a card in order to qualify for another welcome bonus – making it much more difficult for those who cycled between cards to earn its introductory offers.

TV streaming service Netflix had admitted showing some people who sign up to Netflix higher prices to understand how much potential customers "value" it - but it says nobody will actually pay the higher price

How this site works

We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of the site. We're a journalistic website and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques, but can't guarantee to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong.

This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances and remember we focus on rates not service.

We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned (how likely they are to go bust), but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the Section 75 guide for protection tips).

Do note, while we always aim to give you accurate product info at the point of publication, unfortunately price and terms of products and deals can always be changed by the provider afterwards, so double check first.

We often link to other websites, but we can't be responsible for their content.

Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion.

MoneySavingExpert.com is part of the MoneySupermarket Group, but is entirely editorially independent. Its stance of putting consumers first is protected and enshrined in the legally-binding MSE Editorial Code.